No matter what you may think of her ornery son, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch was actually pretty awesome, and she passed away today at the age of 103. "She died peacefully in her home at Cruden Farm, outside Melbourne in Victoria and is survived by three children and 77 direct descendants, including five great-great grandchildren. She would have been 104 in January,"  reported The Guardian's Lisa O'Carroll.

Stateside, we're way more familiar with her son, Rupert, and that's probably a good place to start with Elisabeth. "Murdoch [Elisabeth] is reported to have frequently stood in firm maternal opposition to Rupert, the second of her four children," reports O'Carroll. So, yes, she may sound like a voice of reason. "I think the invasion of people's privacy is the worst thing," Elisabeth is quoted as saying by The Daily Beast's David Lesser, which of course cuts a contrast against the hacking charges at the papers which her son owns. "I think privacy is anybody's right. I really do."

And, yes, you'll notice Ms. Murdoch holds the title of Dame. "She supported more than 100 charities, with particular interests in the arts and in children's health, and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, one of Britain's highest civilian honors, in 1963 for her services to social welfare," reported The Wall Street Journal's Rachel Pannett.

"Throughout her life, our mother demonstrated the very best qualities of true public service ... Her energy and personal commitment made our country a more hopeful place and she will be missed by many," said Rupert.

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Alexander Abad-Santos